


but transitory

by tauri



Category: Pocket Monsters: X & Y | Pokemon X & Y Versions
Genre: AU where Lysandre's plan worked, Community: fandomweekly, Gen, Post-Geosenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-06
Updated: 2016-08-06
Packaged: 2018-07-29 15:16:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7689637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tauri/pseuds/tauri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The plan worked, and Malva is happy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	but transitory

**Author's Note:**

> For challenge #006 at fandomweekly, 'Vainglory'.
> 
> I totally have a larger fic along these lines I'm meant to be writing but what even is finishing longer fic aaaa.

It was a terribly selfish thing to do, _to end the world_. (Walking along the dusty path, Malva reached out to pull some seed heads from the long grasses growing beneath her; she threw them out into the undergrowth.) Could you really say that the world had ended, though? _After all, we're still here_.

The weapon had been fired and the world's population had been decimated (or more? Malva hadn't kept up with the statistics after that point). Maybe there were survivors in Kanto, Sinnoh, places miles away and across the sea. Maybe they'd form an uprising, come to Kalos, act on their sense of justice... or something. The thought made Malva chuckle.

It was selfish, but it had always been so. That was what she'd always liked about Lysandre. He would say things like _this world is filthy_ and _it is my responsibility to cleanse this world_ and actually _mean_ them. He _meant_ them. The only difference between a lunatic and a visionary was having the capability to get things done, and Malva had to admit, he'd certainly accomplished _that_. She had worked by his side all that time, doing her best to help him reach his aim. Working harder than she had in years, even. It had been thrilling, she couldn't deny that - holding a secret, knowing that they couldn't be stopped. And they hadn't been stopped! And so here they were. Or here _she_ was, at least. The sun was shining and the wind rustled the leaves in the trees and plants _kept growing_ even though all common sense said that they shouldn't - but of course, a weapon fuelled with the power of a mythical life-bringing Pokemon wasn't something to be judged on such things as _common sense_.

Lysandre's justification had been that mankind needed to be cultivated properly, raised with specific regard for the planet they lived on. There had always been a gap between those who supported Team Flare and those who were privy to the innermost workings of Team Flare's scientists, _the plan to renew the world_. The practical downside of that had been the Flare grunts who had survived afterward, shocked and traumatized by the extent of what had happened. Lysandre had retreated quickly, but Malva didn't mind taking care of them - in so far as she stared at them with cold eyes, telling them _this is just how the world is, now. If you don't like it, then I'm sure you've got your own ways of dealing with it_.

Xerneas was known for its legends, of being able to share 'eternal life' - whatever _that_ was. Malva had read the reports, knew that the scientists had put forth the concept that, just perhaps, those exposed to the weapon - those who were not killed by it, as per Lysandre's plan - might not be able to be killed, full stop. They hadn't been able to test that before the weapon had been fired, but what better time to try that than with those who said they'd rather die than live in this new world? Malva had watched their efforts with a smile. _Maybe there'll come a day where we have to subdue them, but there are worse things you can do to a person than kill them_.

They'd been aware of past uprisings in other regions, of course. Groups, cults, criminals, those acting for their own gain and those aiming, foolishly, for something higher. They'd known for a while of groups in Hoenn that planned to raise or lower the sea level - Malva had just scoffed at that intel. _What do you hope to achieve with something like that!?_

Lysandre, still, seemed melancholy. Not that Malva had expected his general demeanor to change all that rapidly following the culmination of their plan, _but we pulled it off without a hitch, so maybe try smiling?_ He spoke, heavily, of the things he now had to do. _Duties and responsibilities_. Taking on the research of that professor he'd liked so much, keeping its spirit alive in exchange for all of the species that had perished in the meantime. _It was necessary, in order to save them_ \- he often said things like that. Could you say that something was 'saved' if it was dead? Saved of future difficulty, perhaps. _But everything dies eventually, so what's the point?_ (Malva had never raised that issue with him.)

Everything died eventually, but they'd taken that matter into their own hands. Most of the world's population - human and Pokemon - had ceased to exist. Malva thought of all of the times in her life where she thought that she would rather die than have to keep up a pleasant face in social situations, when the thought of having to interact with _people_ \- just _people_ , all the time, everywhere - had driven her to such resentment, and she couldn't help but let out a laugh. The sun still shone, and the route between Cyllage and Camphrier was empty, _as usual_. _As most routes are, these days_. Perhaps she was now immortal (not that she had tested that theory), and there had been a time when that might have seemed like the worst thing in the world, but now the world was _hers_ , and she planned to enjoy it. Enjoy all the sights the world had to offer without those _people_ getting in the way. Lysandre could shoulder the weight of guilt if he wanted to; she had no intention of taking on those burdens.

Maybe one day, she'd get sick of it. She knew her whims enough to know that that was completely possible. _Maybe I'll tell the scientists to start research on reversing the effects of the weapon_. Surely that was a worthy pursuit? _They could do with something to occupy their time, at least_.

Until then, however, it was another glorious day in Kalos - as, to Malva, they all were, now.


End file.
